Charges back for boss of driver who killed police officers in freeway crash

A judge's decision to put a permanent hold on charges against a trucking boss over the horror Eastern Freeway crashorror Eastern Freeway cras has been overturned on appeal.

Simiona Tuteru was charged with manslaughter over the deaths of four Victoria Police officers in the crash in April 2020.

It was alleged Tuteru, the manager of Connect Logistic, allowed truck driver Mohinder Singh to get behind the wheel while fatigued and under the influence of drugs.

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His vehicle ploughed into the four officers who were out of their cars during a traffic stop.

The manslaughter charges were dropped in October last year, six days before he was due to stand trial, in favour of proceeding with heavy vehicle offences.

But prosecutors refused to give a reason for the change when grilled by Justice Lex Lasry.

He suggested it was simply because "the Crown finally realised it didn't have a case", which then-prosecutor Robyn Harper rejected.

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Justice Lasry, in putting a permanent hold on all charges, claimed court processes had been used oppressively and unfairly by Director of Public Prosecutions Kerri Judd.

But it was argued in an appeal by prosecutors that Justice Lasry didn't have the jurisdiction to press for details on prosecutorial discretion and accused him of trying to peek behind the curtain.

The Court of Appeal on Thursday upheld their challenge and overturned Justice Lasry's order, allowing charges against Tuteru to again proceed.

Lawyers for both sides were not in court for the decision.

The court's reasons will be published later on Thursday.